When it comes to the preparation for and the actual striking of the ball with the putter head, there are at least a minimum number of factors a golfer should consider if he wishes to enhance his chances of successfully making the putt. The golfer should position the putter head such that the face of the putter head is square to the intended line of roll when the face of the putter head contacts the golf ball. Also, the golfer should strike the golf ball solidly by contacting the golf ball with the face of the putter head at the "sweet spot" of the putter head. In addition, the golfer stands such that his eyes are positioned directly above the golf ball when putting, which tends to make for better coordination between the hands and eyes of the golfer.
For the initial setup and preparation for the putting of the golf ball, nearly all golfers will set the putter head behind the golf ball such that the face of the putter head is square to the intended line of roll of the golf ball. The golfer will then swing the putter back a predetermined distance along an extension of the golf ball's intended line of roll. Finally, the golfer will swing the putter head forward such that the face of the putter head strikes the golf ball.
The length of the back swing and the force associated with the swinging the putter head forward to strike the golf ball will be dictated by the distance to be traversed by the golf ball in its travel to the cup and the slope of the putting surface along the intended line of roll. It will be appreciated that the shorter the distance of the back swing and the less force needed to be applied to the putter during the forward swinging of the putter head for a given distance to the cup, the better is the probability that the face of the putter head will remain square to the extension of the intended line of roll of the golf ball and that the "sweet spot" will remain directly above the extension. Advance alignment of the striking face is crucial to the quality of play.